Nano-scale Field Effect Transistor for Biomolecule Sensing

With significant progress in CMOS
process technology, we are now able to manufacture nano-scale Field-Effect
Transistors (FETs) down to 7 nm. This has opened doors not just for better
computing but also for areas like bio-sensing for proteins and DNA.

An important
innovation lies in large-scale integration of nanoscale transistors for
analyzing biological systems, which could provide for massive parallelization
and deliver a more complete view of a biological system at a reasonable cost. However,
there are several challenges open that still need to be tackled to achieve such
a large-scale bio-electronic sensor chip. In this master thesis, the student
will investigate nano-sized field effect transistors for their ability to sense
bio-molecules in electrolytic environments and try to understand the effect of
surface functionalization on bio-sensing.

In order to capture the target
biomolecules on the FET, the surface of the transistor needs to be
functionalized with special molecules that can bind with the target
biomolecules floating around in the electrolyte solution. This surface
functionalization can influence the bio-sensing ability of the FET, which is
important if we want to achieve a low Limit of Detection (LOD). During the
master thesis, these sensors will be characterized in detail to understand their
behavior for different types and methods of surface functionalization. The
student will also work on analyzing the noise contribution of the
functionalization and the effect of the electrolytic environment. The thesis
will involve working in the cleanroom, bio-chemistry labs and on electrical
characterization tools. Molecular sensitivity and the potential of FET-based molecular sensors will be investigated.

Type of project: Internship, Thesis, Combination of internship and thesis